I've just concluded my eighth week in the Zone. When I started out, I made sure to figure out my proper block allocation, based both on the Body Fat Calculator here and the information from my electronic scale (which can vary day-to-day, or even minute-to-minute, but, when averaged out over a long period of time, gives pretty reliable results). I also made sure to factor in my high body-fat percentage as an extra activity level, as Dr. Sears recommended (thus, although I was pretty much sedentary, I scored myself at a "light activity" level of exercise). My resulting block allocation was 16 per day, and I've been sticking to that as closely as I can figure, and relying on the "eyeball method" when I'm eating at a place where I can't get the nutritional data. In other words, I've been pretty conscientious about staying in the Zone.

At any rate, I'm through eight weeks. The good news is that I'm averaging around 1.5 pounds of fat loss per week -- just about the ideal maximum. The bad news is that I'm also losing LBW, to the tune of slightly under a pound a week. Overall, a lot better than where I was before starting this, but I'd sure like to be at the point where the LBW was staying level and all my loss was fat.

I've been trying to figure out what might be causing the LBW loss. All I can think of is that, no matter how well I calculated it, I'm eating too little protein to support my LBW. Maybe my metabolism is weird, or I have some other difference in body chemistry, or ??? But, I'm wondering: should I increase my block allocation by one (up to 17 for the moment) and see if that causes the LBW to level off while still losing fat? Or should I just keep with the current plan, accept the LBW loss as part of the bargain, and wait for the point where it drops far enough so that my current block allocation keeps that new, lower LBW constant?

You're correct that you need more protein. If you're losing a pound of LBM a week I think you probably need more than 1 extra block daily.

James,
When you are at the weight that you are at (trying not to use the "O"word here), you are also carrying around an abnormal amount of LBM, because you need more LBM to carry the fat. So, as you lose fat, you are also losing some of that LBM that was carrying it around. Wouldn't it look funny if you lost all of your weight, but your muscles were still enlarged to that extreme? LOL (and for those who question this advice, I am not talking about those who only need to trim down a few pounds... this is for those with major body fat issues)

I don't think it is a problem at all that you are losing some LBM at this point. That said, it is also not going to hurt you much if you feel the need to add one more block into your day somewhere. The important thing, listen to your body. Are you hungry, or satisfied? Are you full of energy? or lacking? Listen to your body, and then do what you feel comfortable doing.

James, is that a consistent loss of LBM with each week that goes by, or did you compare your LBM at day one and then 8 weeks later, and then divide that difference by 8 to get a weekly average? If most of the LBM loss happened during the first couple of weeks, it maybe a loss be a loss of LBM at all, but rather a loss of retained fluid. Retained fluid from one's previous diet can skew their original LBM and fat % result taken as you start the on diet. Dr. Sears recommends recalculating LBM and body fat and protein /block requirement at two weeks into the diet and using that as a baseline, because by the two week mark you will usually have lost the fluid retained from your previous way of eating.

Typo in my previous post. I was trying to say that the pounds of LBM apparently lost may not represent a loss of LBM at all, but rather a loss of retained fluid.